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This is video number two of an on going series of shorts I am filming. The objective is simply to create a short that captures the ride. Before I moved to New York City and worked as a professional Motion Designer I was a filmmaker. It feels good to play around again even if it's just with my small point and shoot. I have no desire to purchase nicer gear but rather just focus on capturing these little moments out on the trail or the road. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for checking out Broken Shorts.

The 2016 Santa Cruz 5010 came neatly packaged in what I believe to be the perfect “bike box.” They’ve ditched the traditional bike box and went with something that is shorter and wider. The result is a stout box that just easier to move around. As a person who doesn’t have a car let alone a drivers license I get really stoked on well packed goods.

I am by no means a professional mechanic but I love building and working on my bikes. I’ve been working on bikes my entire life but I am fairly new to work on high end mountain bikes; so this build took a little longer that I expected. I ended up spending my Friday night and a good chunk of my Saturday dialing it in. My hopes are that this article might help someone in the future who is building or working on a new Santa Cruz.

Brakes : The 2016 Santa Cruz 5010 features externally routed brakes making set up really easy. However the new Sram Guide RCS brakes took a fair bit of tweaking to get dialed in. The problem I was having is that the space between the pad and the rotor is so small. Theres not even a fraction of a millimeter that doesn’t have to be aligned right. With a good deal of trial and error I did manage to get the calipers dialed in and the brakes feel awesome!

Internal routing : The rear derailleur and Reverb feature internal cable routing. Generally internal routing is a huge pain in the ass but Santa Cruz obviously spent some time on engineering some incredible cable guides. The derailleur cable and housing just slides through the internal port and right out! I was blown away. The one tricky part I ran into was fitting the rubber stoppers into the frame. The squeeze is tight and I was told the trick is to use grease. The grease definitely helped but I really had a hard time getting those things in. Same thing with the Reverb. Super easy! More on the Reverb in the next paragraph.

Rock Shox Reverb Stealth : So the Reverb was super easy to install thanks to Santa Cruz’s genius internal routing. The only problem I ran into was that the cable was far too long and had to be trimmed down. I have very limited experience cutting hydraulic lines and bleeding things in general. Long story short. I trimmed the cable. I had a really difficult time threading the cable back into the barb on the Reverb remote. I must have engaged the remote when the barb wasn’t in all the way and I lost a lot of oil. I lost enough oil that it required a bleed. At this point I just walked away and went to bed. The next day I went to the bike shop and picked up a bleed kit and corrected my mistake. Bleeding the Reverb was super easy and this is coming from someone that is really intimidated with that sort of stuff.

So enough about the build! How does it ride!

Coming from a Bronson 1.0 the 2016 Santa Cruz 5010 is like night and day. I’ve always read reviews where they use words like lively and responsive. You always assume that stuff is just all marketing bullshit. But honestly thats how the 2016 5010 feels. Super lively and responsive. Maybe even a little zippy? I think a good way to put it is that when it comes to climbing it feels more like a cross bike then a Nomad? Does that make sense? I love how the lower bottom bracket felt on descents. I feel like I was using my legs to push through the trail vs my arms. I am really looking forward to getting on this bike more and I’’ll definitely follow up with a longer term review on the 2016 Santa Cruz 5010.

"5010 is built to serve the most technical backcountry missions. 130mm of VPP® (Virtual Pivot Point) travel produces a shorter chainstay length and lower BB height compared to the 5010’s bigger-travel brethren. This creates a uniquely playful character and an insatiable appetite for negotiating steep, rocky climbs. And when it’s time to head home, playtime becomes a riot. The new 5010 has a 67-degree head tube angle, more aggressive than before, and the longer top tube welcomes the use of shorter stems for more precise handling and greater confidence on rapid descents. The 5010 also shares all the latest VPP® hardware with the new Bronson. The top-tube-mounted, box-section upper link is a leap forward in durability and stiffness, and the lower link rests cleanly out of the way, dramatically improving clearance and minimizing rock strikes. Bike choice can be a numbers game, but if your game is conquering epic trails then 5010 is the only number you need know. This CC-level carbon frame is every bit as stiff and strong as our C-level frame, but weighs about 280 grams less, due to the use of some lighter, stronger, and more expensive carbon fiber. Using this material in key places allowed us to use less material overall, which is what shaves off more than half a pound from the frame." - Santa Cruz Bicycles

I am broke off and it’s my second day back on the bike. A week of public transportation was killing me and it feels good to just be able to pedal to work. Theres no way I am racing but I pedal off beneath the grey clouds to support my friends and shoot some photos.
I pull up to the race as the B’s gather at the start. I should be lined up there with them but my body says otherwise. Listening to your body is what I learned last week. Is this what 30 is supposed to feel like? Fuck.

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My friends are racing C’s and it’s awesome being able to cheer them on. They look good out there.

Tacos and beer between races is always a treat. Portland sucks for tacos but these people do an ok job. Tough love.

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It’s dark out now and the Men’s A group is off. God damn there fast! Russ rolls his tubular while he was fighting to stay in third position. I have a feeling his string of bad luck is coming to an end. Wheres Jake? Andriao looks fast as always in Master A’s. All his CX skills training is paying off and he’s fucking killing it. Solid 2nd place finishing. Looking forward to seeing how he progresses through the rest of the season. Aden and Eddie are in taking care of business in Single Speeds. Eddie ate shit on the last lap on the barriers. Luckily Eddie walked it off.

Larch Mountain is an extinct volcano roughly 25 miles from downtown Portland topping out at over 4000ft of elevation. The name Larch Mountain does not come from the Western Larch tree but rather how early loggers would describe Noble Fir. The mountain has been heavily logged in certain sections and is now a mixture of second and old growth forests. It’s become an iconic climb for cyclists due to it’s infamous 14 mile climb to the summit. Most climbs around Portland are rolling while Larch goes straight up for over 12 miles.
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After some last minute planning Craig and I set off from the Velo Cult parking lot at 7 am. The streets of Northeast Portland are empty and we gladly take the road. Riding out to Troutdale is probably my least favorite thing to do but with good company it aint half bad.

We cross the Sandy River and head up the Historic Columbia River Highway aka U.S. Route 30 aka the King of Roads aka HRCH. The hangover is fading and the weather is perfect. It’s a little after 9am and we pedal up to the Portland Woman’s Forum State Scenic Viewpoint. I take some obligatory photos of the Columbia River Gorge. The view is epic! I’ve taken dozens of photos from the exact spot yet I still feel compelled to snap a few more. It’s our last chance to fill up on water before making the 14 mile ascent up Larch Mountain. Its Craigs first time up. I am looking forward to the summit. I brought a slice of pizza to celebrate at the top; like a boss!

Larch Mountain Road is quiet. The occasional cyclists zooms by; teary eyed from the long ascent. We’re all out here early trying to beat the 90 degree heat. Some earlier than others. At mile marker 2 I tell Craig that it’s all up hill from here. The climb is infamous for it’s long 12 mile ascent and probably more so for the incredible descent back down! We’re surrounded by towering Noble Firs and my legs settle into a rhythm. The mile markers slowly go by as we crawl to the summit. I am feeling good and all of this Mountain Biking is really paying off. Mile 9, Mile 10, we’re getting close. The trees are getting shorter, the sky is bluer and Craig is bonking. I back off and we push forward. Cadence is everything.

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We summit. I drop five bucks into the Fee box and we hike up to the viewpoint called Sherrard Point. Mt St Helens, Mt Rainer, Mt Hood, Mt Adams and Mt Jefferson. It’s all fucking there. I love this ride and this is why I celebrate it. Pizza has never tasted so damn good. Am I the first person to bike up Larch Mountain with a slice of pizza? Fuck yes I am.

The descent back down to U.S. Route 30 is incredible. The roads are still empty and we occasionally fly by someone climbing. This time we’re the ones teary eyed, focused on the road ahead. Craigs out in front and I can only imagine he’s smiling as much as I am.